Summary
- For All Mankind season 4 leaves the fate of Ed Baldwin and Dani Poole unresolved. Ed could be almost 80 in season 5, while Dani may not appear at all.
- Given the show’s timeline and story, season 5 does not require the presence of Ed or Dani. The show is preparing to make way for new characters.
Fans of the popular Apple TV+ series, ‘For All Mankind,’ have been wondering if Ed Baldwin and Dani Poole will appear in ‘For All Mankind’ season 5.
‘For All Mankind’ is set in an alternate timeline where the global space race never turned extinct. In this timeline, a Soviet Union cosmonaut becomes the first person to land on the moon, urging NASA to expand quickly.
Season 1 is set in 1969, but the next seasons take place after a gap of 10 years each. Each season’s cast also changes, although some characters appear in all seasons.
Edward ‘Ed’ Baldwin and Danielle ‘Dani’ Poole are two such characters who have featured in all seasons of the series. However, the season 4 finale has left the fate of Dani and Ed ambiguous.
When season 1 began, Ed Baldwin was introduced as one of the top astronauts in NASA until the Soviet Union reached the moon before the US. Ed loses his mind and calls out NASA after losing the space race.
After certain complications, Ed is selected to head NASA’s first mission to Mars. However, things don’t work out again as Margo Madison rejects Ed’s offer. A disappointed Ed joins Helios Aerospace after quitting NASA.
In the latest season, Ed becomes XO of the Happy Valley colony on Mars and considers it his home by now. However, his professional life does not go smoothly, as he keeps turning against Dani.
When Dani receives reports of Ed’s hand tremors, Ed is removed from flight status and sacked from XO. There are no hints about Ed’s fate in season 5, but there’s a 50-50 chance that he’s still living in Happy Valley at 80 in season 5.
Dani’s fate is also left ambiguous after season 4. In the finale, Dani is shot by Lee Jung-Gil’s gun. Jung-Gil was a North Korean astronaut. The gun was buried in the ground during the events of season 3 when many astronauts, such as Dani, Lee, and Kuznetsov, remained stranded.
The gun comes back at a critical juncture and is used to injure Dani. The residents of Happy Valley reunite to face the crisis when Dani is injured. The creators have, however, confirmed that Dani survived the gunshot in season 4, but that does not guarantee her presence in season 4.
Dani decides to come out of retirement to command the Happy Valley colony after Kuznetsov’s death, but that’s only an exceptional case. Dani’s story arc could be done as of season 4.
As explained by the makers, death is not the only way a character can leave ‘For All Mankind.’ They no longer appear on the show once their story arc is wrapped up.
The ‘For All Mankind’ timeline is of such a nature that characters are bound to come and go. The 10-year jumps make it even more evident. Although Ed and Dani have been around since season 1, the series might be better off without them in season 5.
‘For All Mankind’ has always been more about the larger history than the characters. Moreover, new characters will be introduced, with Kuznetsov Station becoming more prominent in the plot.
About For All Mankind
For All Mankind is an American sci-fi drama TV series created by Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert, and Ben Nedivi for Apple TV+.
The series follows an alternate timeline where NASA is not the one to accomplish the first moon landing, and they train women astronauts to outdo the Soviet Union in the never-ending space race.
Cast members include Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman, Sarah Jones, Shantel VanSanten, and Jodi Balfour, among many others.
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